Abstract

This paper wants to bring about a “linguistic turn” in the current theological discussion on gifts and giving. It focuses on the linguistic constructions around “give” and their use in religious and theological texts. The linguistic approach is enriched with the help of Seneca's philosophy of gifts and services. Seneca's De beneficiis is not, however, interpreted as a handbook of anthropology and economic exchange, but as a guide to the proper use of the words “give” and “receive”. In the last sections of this paper, some prominent themes of Reformation theology are discussed from the linguistic perspective of giving. In particular, the issue of receiving something purely passively is addressed